
<p>As NATO expands, there is bound to be a greater diversity of opinions among the members. ; The most obvious example is Turkey – which has almost reached the level of a rogue state within the Alliance. ; The person responsible is President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. ; Turkey’s once close ties to the United States and NATO have been drifting away over the course of Erdoğan’s 10-year reign. ; Coincidental to Turkey’s drift away has been Erdoğan’s shift from democracy to authoritarian rule.</p>



<p>Erdoğan just won reelection to his third five-year term – and that is not good for NATO or the United States. ; As Turkey’s ties to the United States have weakened, Erdoğan has built a stronger alliance with Russia and its dictator President Vladimir Putin.</p>



<p>Recently, both Finland and Sweden have applied for membership in NATO. ; This is a huge blow to Putin’s efforts to keep NATO nations from bordering on Mother Russia. ; It was his pretext for invading Ukraine before it would wind up a NATO nation.</p>



<p>Under pressure from his NATO allies, Erdoğan has agreed to admit Finland, but he so far opposes the addition of Sweden – and any new members to NATO must be approved by every current member. ; That would also create a likely barrier for Ukraine to eventually join NATO – as it has already expressed a desire to do.</p>



<p>Had Erdoğan been defeated, the new president would have approved the inclusion of Sweden – and most likely Ukraine in the future.</p>



<p>Even as NATO and the United States have sanctioned Putin over his invasion of Ukraine, Erdoğan has not only maintained friendly ties width Putin, but continues to trade with Russia – undermining the NATO sanctions. ; In addition, he has purchased Russian missile defense systems – which undermines the interoperability of the Alliances defense network.</p>



<p>In a number of world conflicts, Erdoğan has intervened in opposition to NATO’s objectives and interests – including in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.</p>



<p>The reelection of Erdoğan is also a blow to Turkey’s democratic movement. ; In amassing power, he has brutally cracked down on dissent, jailed journalists and curbed judicial independence, and restricted civil liberties – the principle democratic hallmarks of the NATO alliance.</p>



<p>Despite Erdoğan’s power to influence the outcome of elections, it was close. ; Almost half of the people of Turkey wanted Erdoğan out in favor of his pro-democracy opponent. ; This means that Erdoğan does not have a mandate from the people – and could suggest growing dissension in the future.</p>



<p>The ties to NATO and the United States are strained but not broken. ; Turkey holds a strategic position in the Middle East. ; It is still an important trading partner – and it hosts an American military presence, which is believed to include nuclear weapons. ; Turkey’s position on the Black Sea is critical since both Russia and Ukraine (pre-Russian hegemony) comprise most of the Sea’s shoreline.</p>



<p>Erdoğan sees himself as a broker on the international stage, but is he tilting too much in favor of the authoritarians and away from democratic states that comprise NATO? ; Regardless, his reelection was not good news for NATO nor the United States.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Erdoğan Reelection Not Good News For NATO or United States
